Overview
- Arsenal lost 2-1 at Aston Villa when Emiliano Buendía scored deep into stoppage time.
- The defeat left Arsenal two points clear at the top as Manchester City closed in with a 3-0 win over Sunderland.
- Scholes pointed to losses to Liverpool and Villa and draws with Manchester City and Chelsea as evidence that Arsenal "can’t win a big game."
- Ex-teammate Nicky Butt said City typically accelerate after January and backed Pep Guardiola’s side to surge again.
- Arsenal-focused analysis pushed back on Scholes’ view, noting key defensive absences such as Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba in some of those matches.